PlasTeam - European Plastic Expert Team Maker

PlasTeam - Competitive Research and Innovation for the European Plastic Processing Supply Chain

PlasTeam is an EU FP6 initiative carried out by thirteen partner institutions and aimed to promote the use of FP6 instruments, such as IPs, NoEs and funding, fitting the new economical and technological necessities and opportunities of the SMEs (processor, supplier and manufacturer) in the European Plastic Processing Supply Chain (PPSC).

The project will address the problem that the PPSC in Europe is fragmented, with many small companies competing with each other in local markets and under the big companies pressure in reducing time-to-market, lowering costs and increasing quality.(e.g. plastic prototyping to improve efficiency)

There exists a solution that can alleviate all these adversities: fostering the added value that these small businesses can offer to the whole European PPSC, remaining more competitive via innovation (e.g. saturated polyester, reinforced polyester resin) and involving SMEs more significantly in the FP6 Research Framework Programme. In order to reach this main objective, the current ETI proposal is divided into the following functional and measurable objectives:

Knowledge acquisition - To upgrade European SMEs technological awareness in fields were the gap in front of Asian and American plastic processing industry is getting wider. The project attempts to solve the unawareness of the European, national and regional aids supporting R&D and technology transfer (e.g. injection moulding, CAD plastic prototyping, resin casting, polyester synthesis etc.) in this concrete industrial sector.
Knowledge sharing - The project aims at establishing and co-ordinating an European network of experts with experience in plastic Research and Development (e.g. fabric reinforced polyester resin) and technology transfer for plastics processing fields (e.g. extrusion profile, prototyping, co-polymeric resin, thermoplastic vacuum forming etc), facilitating awareness raising and offering assistance deployment, through training and best practice sharing. It also will cover the lack of information concerning new technologies and inexperience in collaborating with technological centres or universities.
Knowledge exploitation - The project final objective is establishing a solid link between Problem Holders and Problem Solvers to pursuit continuous technological developmentin PPSC (e.g. plastic compounding, resin polymerisation) . The ultimate objective is to implement the participation of SMEs of the PPSC in IPs and NoEs in FP6. The main deliverable will be the involvement of SMEs of the PPSC in the following manner: at least 1000 SMEs in awareness and information events, 300 in technological audits, and 100 in EC-funded IPs and NoEs.

Who should join PlasTeam Expert Team Maker?

If you are a SME engaged in thePPSC, register now with PlasTeam and contact the plastic or polymer experts in your field. Also, you can form Virtual Team through finding appropriate partners (e.g. plastic resin suppliers) in our Plastic Company Directory to undertake reserach and project operated by the European Union and gain access to FP6 (sixth framework programme) instruments and EU FP6 business funding. EU definition of SME can be found on about PlasTeam page.

Our XTeam profiling service allows PlasTeam to identify your key capabilities like CAD plastic prototyping, recycling (e.g. PVC or polyester recycling), machinery and tool manufacturing (e.g. CAD designed plastic mold and die, custom resin injection moulding tool), polyester resin supplier etc which provides extra ceditability to your company.

If you are a large company or RTD project coordinator seeking partnering opportunities with SMEs in the European Plastic Processing Supply Chain, register now and look for competence partners in our European Plastic Company Directory (polyester resin supplier).

Please contact contact us if you would like to join PlasTeam and be Profiled.